Long Par 3s

[Doug Siebert]

I hate it when courses end up with all the par 3s around the same distance.  My home course is that way, but the reason is because they lengthened some trying to add more distance to the scorecard.  I wouldn't be surprised if this kind of thing is fairly common.  So we have 4 par 3s all at around 200 yards.  Luckily two play into a crosswind, one into the wind, and one with the wind.  The one with the wind also has two island greens and multiple tees so it can play anywhere from 140 to 240, though 90% of the time it is 180 or 200.

Another course in the has a par 3 that's 245 from the back tees.  OB left (but it has to be pretty badly left) lost balls long and right, and a hazard short.  Your only bailout is left/short left of the green.  Typical wind is right to left and hurting.  It is one beast of a hole!  Luckily this course has a better variety of distances and all playing different directions, with other par 3s at 180, 190, 175 (but very downhill) and 105.  The 105 hole comes after an evil 270 yard par 4.  Used to be one hole but with modern equipment too many people were trying to cut the corner of the dogleg over a couple million dollar homes and the owners were not pleased

[Tom Culley]

Neither the length or par of my course has changed since it was built in '66. The long par 3s are brutal with 60s blades and persimmon woods as i discovered when i started playing a set to improve my ball striking.

[Tom_Doak]

I hate it when courses end up with all the par 3s around the same distance.  My home course is that way, but the reason is because they lengthened some trying to add more distance to the scorecard.  I wouldn't be surprised if this kind of thing is fairly common.  So we have 4 par 3s all at around 200 yards.  Luckily two play into a crosswind, one into the wind, and one with the wind.  The one with the wind also has two island greens and multiple tees so it can play anywhere from 140 to 240, though 90% of the time it is 180 or 200.

Doug:

That's what happens.  Generally speaking, there are lots of golfers who think anything under 150 yards is "too short" and anything over 210 yards is "too long", so green committees eventually wind up with all of the par-3's in a narrow range.